by Casey White
Daniel flinched. “H-Hey. Uh. It’s-”
“You reached Leon’s phone. Guess you missed me. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”
An earsplitting beep screamed out over the line. Daniel dropped the phone to his side with a muttered curse, closing the line before it could capture a message.
Now what? Damn it, there was no telling how long they had until shit went south, and he needed someone to know. Down the list he went. James’ name appeared under his cursor next.
Again, he raised the phone, pressing it against his ear. The ringing began anew.
James and Maya had succumbed to Leon’s peer pressure. Maya more easily than James. She’d smiled at him as she handed over her number. James had just stared, scowling. It was James. No one had been surprised, and Owl knew better than to think the man was actually unhappy. It was more that he couldn’t live with himself if people thought he was having fun.
The line clicked. Daniel stood a little straighter. “James. I-“
“James. I’m not here.” An earsplitting beep followed the words.
Daniel killed the line with a muted snarl, jabbing at the keyboard. The cheap phone shuddered with every blow, ready to come apart at the unkind treatment.
Another name. Another push of the Call button. Another series of tinny rings in his ear.
“Maya here. I’m not around. Leave your-”
Daniel dropped his hand away, violently squeezing the phone. His better senses kicked in before he could destroy the device. That cheap hunk of plastic was his only means of reaching any of them, now that he was back in the outside world. And he didn’t have time to go for another round in Alexandria.
If he couldn’t reach them, if he couldn’t warn them that Indira was coming, then he’d just have to go after them himself.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he froze. He’d go after them? Really? Doing so would mean exposing himself. There would be no going back. Once they saw his face, the perfect secrecy of the Librarian would have taken on its first wound.
Could he really do that? Alexandria was old. Ancient. He had no idea how long she’d been around, but the only thing that’d kept her safe up until now was having Librarians who guarded her. Who looked after her, hiding her secret from the world. He’d be undoing all of it. Throwing it away.
He could leave, he realized. Pick up and run. Even if they were able to glean his location from the calls he’d made to Leon and the rest, he could vanish. He’d made preparations, just in case. He’d simply vanish into the night, leaving nothing behind to show that Owl the Librarian had lived here.
And Leon would be left to face the Booklenders, together with his friends. His skin prickled, quivering with a shiver that ran up and down his back. If she was going this far, targeting him outside of the Library, then there was no reason to think she’d balk at hurting someone to get what she wanted.
He’d do it. The knowledge sank into his gut, heavy and somber and sour enough to fill his throat with acid. He’d do whatever it took to save his friends, no matter what trouble it caused. They’d been there for him. Night after night, year after year.
He wouldn’t abandon them now.
In an instant, his mind was made up. He threw himself toward the bathroom, pulling a tee off the floor and over his head, tripping over himself in his hurry to don a pair of jeans. He paused for a single moment, just long enough to tie his black hair away from his face. There. He’d look just sane enough to pass muster if he was confronted by someone.
His pulse quickened. Not exactly how he’d dreamed of his first meeting with Leon going down.
Almost ready. Almost time.
But if he was going to be going into a fight...Daniel turned, gazing into a darkened corner of his closet. Considering the amount of pure adrenaline pulsing through him, his steps toward it were admirably measured. A square shape sat within, swathed in the shadows. A safe.
Methodically, he keyed in the code. It cracked open.
Lips pressed tightly together, he pulled the pistol from inside, along with a few spare magazines. He’d known from the start that something might happen someday. He was the Librarian, and being prepared was part of his responsibility. But damn it, he’d always hoped he’d never need any of it.
Now, he couldn’t help thinking he hadn’t done enough.
He grabbed a holster and a knife from the closet shelf, snagging a jacket along with them, and stalked out of the closet.
* * * * *
The car door slammed shut. Daniel jammed his key into the ignition one-handed, already calling up a map on his phone.
The grim reality stared back up at him as the route cleared. He swallowed hard. Almost four hours to go.
Would that be too long? Indira and Olivia were driving, but...from where? And if they were reaching out to other allies, would they have people closer? His gut roiled. Would they have mages closer?
The phone squawked out its first update, directing him out of the driveway. “Fucking hell,” Daniel mumbled, grabbing for his burner again.
He hit the gas as the ringtone began its buzzing.
A few minutes later, the burner joined his regular phone, tossed into the passenger seat. Nothing. No response. Not even a glimmer of life—just the answering machines. It was early, Daniel told himself. Most sane adults would be sleeping at a few minutes past two in the morning. Even college students like them were probably already in bed.
That was all. It was just that they were too deeply asleep to pick up. Or maybe their phones were on silent. He chewed his lip, his eyes locked on the road ahead as the speedometer slowly crept upward.
Surely that was all.
* * * * *
The hours crept past. The tension in him never faded or eased, no matter the distance he put between him and his home. The weight of the gun hanging inside his jacket served as a constant reminder of the stakes.
And there, trapped inside a metal box hurtling down the freeway at speeds well over the limit, he’d never felt quite so helpless. Even when he was trapped inside the Library, he could at least control some things. He had magic, and he could sway his domain, even if Alex liked to toy with him.
Now? He couldn’t change physics, not here. He couldn’t open a doorway to cross half the country like he’d cross from a distant corner of Alexandria back to his quarters. He had no magic at all—and when his friends were in trouble, he was stuck here. Driving. Hours away.
Every so often, he grabbed his phone, calling up their names again. And every time, he’d get the same assortment of bored-sounding pre-recorded messages. At first, he’d been trying to keep half an eye on how fast he was going. If he got pulled over, it’d tack on far more time than he’d save, after all. But those reservations faded as he raced through the night without so much as glimpsing another car.
The sight of the moon sinking lower on the horizon put a pit in his stomach. That bitter reminding of time’s passing was soon emphasized by the flow of cars that started to creep onto the freeway around him. There was nothing he could do but join the first traces of the morning rush, trundling along among the masses and fighting the urge to slam his head into his steering wheel.
Finally, with the first hints of light shining in the sky and traffic starting to swell, Daniel reached over, grabbing the burner up again.
By now, he could find their numbers on automatic. The ringtone started its chiming.
Hey! You reached Leon’s-
He killed the line, his lip curling back. His fingers danced across the keys. More buzzing.
Yeah. It’s James. I’m-
His gut twisted. He ended the call, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Another push. Another ringtone started up. Grinding his teeth together, he eyed the signs on the roadside. Not far. Another half hour or so, and he’d-
“Hello?”
His surprise was so complete, he came dangerously close to dropping his phone entirely. “M-Maya,” he said instead, fighting to keep it f
rom coming out as a squeak.
“Yes?” she said, her voice suspicious even through a sleepy haze. “Can I help you?”
“Oh, thank god.”
“Excuse me? Who is this?” She sighed. “Whatever. I’m not interested. Take me off your calling list, or I’ll-”
“N-No,” he stammered. “Don’t hang up. Please.”
“Like I said-”
“It’s Owl.”
The line went very, very quiet then. Daniel waited, still staring at the road.
“Like, really?” she said at last, her voice hushed.
He groaned. “Really. Look-”
“Like, from- from there? With the mask?”
“Yeah. So-”
“Holy shit.”
“Maya,” he snapped.
“Sorry.”
Don’t be sorry, his thoughts screamed. It wasn’t her fault. He could appreciate how much of a shock it’d be, to have your world upended as things from your dreams became reality. He understood damn well, in fact.
“We have a problem,” he said, rather than opening that whole can of worms. “I’m sorry, but...I need your help.”
The line went quiet again. Daniel waited, but no reply came. “Maya?” he said again.
“How fucked are we, exactly?” she said slowly.
A chuckle burst from his throat. “Pretty.”
“Shit.”
“Look.” Damn it, he didn’t have time for the full explanation. “One of the last visitors inside spotted the three of you.”
“Fuck.”
“Pretty much,” Daniel said, smiling mirthlessly. “There have been...threats made.”
“Are you serious? Who? What should we-”
“I’m almost to Leon,” Daniel said. “I’ll get him out. I...was worried I wouldn’t be able to get in touch with anyone.” And so of course he’d gone straight for Leon, leaving the rest to hang in the wind. The guilt in his chest simmered, ever-present. “If I’ve got you...can you get-”
“I can get James.” The sleep was leaving her voice with every second they talked. “Uh. We should leave, right? But where...where do we go?”
“I don’t know,” Daniel mumbled. His chin dipped lower, sinking to his chest. “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. Can you just-”
“Got it,” Maya said. “I should go.”
“Yeah.” Daniel nodded, fighting to straighten out his emotions. “Thanks. I’m sorry. I never...I didn’t want this to-”
“We’ll manage.” Her tone was terse, but businesslike. “Gotta go. Good luck with Leon.”
“Yeah.” Daniel took a deep breath. “Stay safe, Maya.”
She hung up without another word. Daniel let his hand fall, dropping the phone into the seat. His eyes flicked back to the signs, to the GPS still glowing on his phone.
Just a little farther.
Nursing the engine higher, he raced ahead through the morning glow.
- Chapter Eight -
The sun peeked over the horizon, filling the world with the first, hazy rays of light.
Daniel drove.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel. Stressing wouldn’t help, he knew. He’d get there as soon as he could, and panicking wouldn’t make it come any faster.
Logic didn’t seem to be helping. He was worried.
With his mind in an uproar, every mile seemed to take an eternity, but it was only a few minutes after Maya hung up that he heard the electronic voice of the GPS chime back to life. His pulse quickened. Setting his jaw and keeping his eyes fixed on the road, Daniel turned off onto an exit ramp.
Not far now. He forced himself to calm down, to breathe. Get your shit together. This was happening. If he wasn’t going to calm down and get his head in the game, then he might as well get back on the freeway and drive until he ran out of road. Screwing this up meant losing everything.
But damn it, he hadn’t wanted it to be like this. Out of all the ways he’d dreamed of meeting Leon in person, out of all the wishes he’d had for that occasion, he’d never wanted it to happen like this. Ever.
The sight of the freeway hubbub falling away was a sobering enough sight to bring him back to Earth. His three friends were all college students themselves. The town they lived in was close enough for them to commute to classes, but far enough to be affordable. Even still...there would be a lot of eyes on him if this went badly. Maybe that was good. Or maybe that’d be very, very bad.
Turning down a side street and continuing to drive, Daniel’s mind raced ahead to what came next. Judging from the constant instructions of his GPS, he’d arrive any minute. There was still a good bit of gloom in the sky, but the world around him grew lighter by the second. He’d have to be careful, if he didn’t want to get caught.
Reaching up without taking his eyes off the road, he grabbed for the hood of his coat. He’d probably look a bit weird, driving down the street all hooded, but it’d keep the eyes off his face. For a little while, anyway.
Despite himself, he realized he did feel a little better once the fabric was up and swathing his head. A little more like himself. Chuckling wryly, he nursed the car on, scanning the streets for a landmark. Houses rose up on either side, spaced out by unkempt fields and clusters of trees. The strips of woodland crept between the homes, like the homeowners’ final attempt to keep from having to see each other. Not the untamed wilderness, then—but less crammed on top of each other than they could have been.
Close enough. If he went any farther, he’d...He grimaced, a muscle in his jaw pulsing. If he drove ahead, then he’d probably just wind up mired in whatever trap Indira and her cronies were setting. He wouldn’t help Leon by getting caught himself.
Slowing, he eased the car onto the shoulder, tucking it off the road far enough it probably wouldn’t get hit. If things went well, he’d be back for it soon.
He really, really hoped that things would go well.
Adrenaline spiked in his veins as he killed the engine and pulled the keys free, as though the sudden silence was the final clue his brain had needed that this was real. That he was here. There was no going back.
Again, almost by force of habit, he tugged at his hood. His fingers pressed over the air in front of his face, searching for a porcelain barrier that simply didn’t exist. The quivering of his fingers grew stronger. He was exposed. More completely than he’d ever expected or wanted.
Daniel shifted, releasing his seat belt before he could devolve back into a total panic. He was doing this. And then…
He’d deal with the aftermath. After.
The pistol slipped free of its holster. He glanced down, checking the safety. Checking to make sure the magazine was seated, that the action had closed. He’d had a lot of hours alone in Alexandria over the years, and he’d had more than enough time to learn how to use a gun. He’d be fine.
If you’re so sure about that, stop repeating it. Shoving the weapon back into its home, he pulled his jacket closed over the top, then eased out of the car.
If he’d thought the silence as he shut the car off was a reminder of the severity of his situation, it was nothing compared to the run that followed. The crisp morning air bit at his face, until he hunched his shoulders high and tucked his chin against his chest. A wind lashed across the rolling hills, tugging at his clothes. Every swish and sway was another reminder that he was here. Outside Alexandria. Moving around in the outside world.
Worse than that, though, was the feeling of eyes on him. He strode forward, trying to seem nonchalant, and picked his way up the road’s shoulder. But with every step he took, he had to fight the urge to glance around. Every instinct in his body screamed to turn, inspecting his surroundings. The whispers in his head screamed louder, filling him with the uncertain terror that if he did that, he’d find someone staring right back at him.
But he couldn’t hear anyone, and when he cast a few surreptitious glances around, he couldn’t see anyone, either. It was still the ass-crack of dawn, and the few cars that dr
ove past seemed completely disinterested in him. It was hard to tell, seeing as they were cars, not people, but none of them so much as slowed.
His GPS beeped. Daniel glanced down, taking in the sight of the dot glowing on the map. His mind whirled. If it was there, and he was here, then-
Looking both ways, he darted across the road, vanishing into one of the half-hearted clusters of trees that dotted the landscape. If he was right, then his destination was one of the houses around here, which meant he needed to start playing this a little more careful. His steps slowed, moving with deliberation through the underbrush. His ears strained, picking out each and every noise.
Silence. That was all. The worry in his chest loosened, just a little.
Exhaling, Daniel hurried forward, lifting his gaze at last. The houses out this way were spaced out a little better—but in the same breath, they all had that sort of run-down, lived-in look to them that rented houses did. His target, then.
He pushed his way through the low-hanging branches, praying that none of the residents had gotten up early to go to work. If one of them was sitting at their kitchen table, looking out the back window, then seeing a strange hooded man come running out of the forest would be damn sure to get the cops called on him.
Daniel paused, his brow furrowing. Would...Was he an idiot? Would that work? If he called for help, would they-
Before the thought was even fully formed, he snorted, shaking his head derisively. As if. If Indira really was working with mages, then something told him they wouldn’t be caught out by something as simple as mundane police. And the cops would have questions for him, too—questions he couldn’t answer. No, this was on him.
He glanced up again, sliding out of the treeline, and stopped.
The back of the houses waited before him—and his eyes were glued to one in particular. A white number, small but not dirty. The remains of a bonfire waited in a firepit in the backyard, carefully away from their neighbor’s fence.
Leon’s house. Daniel forced himself to stop, taking a hard look around. If Olivia was right, then Indira would already know Leon’s identity. Had he beat her here?